Illinois 28, Ohio State 21 (final)

[SanAntonioBuck]

Originally Posted by Kraftmaid

Does anyone "feel" a little payback being due because of coach Zook & the Florida connection? Does anyone think the team feels this way?

No

[Yertle]

Originally Posted by Kraftmaid

Does anyone "feel" a little payback being due because of coach Zook & the Florida connection? Does anyone think the team feels this way?

The only potential payback is from the "over-rated" chants during our 17-10 win last year.

[mendensa]

Mendenhall is in the top 5 in a lot of NCAA rushing catagories. I think they are a better running team than Wiscy this year. Look at the numbers. The badgers had some success running the ball, they just got away from it too early. Talent wise, this Illini team is a lot better than wiscy also. Better playmakers all around. Plus, the Bucks defense has to account for juice pulling it down and running. The last time they faced a scrambling QB (WASHINGTON GAME) he torched them for 100+. Love the confidence guys but don't see the Bucks winning this one by 3 scores unless they shut down the run early and turn Juice and the Illini offense into a 1-dimensional threat.

[BuckeyeNation27]

This is a classic trap game.

[Oneshot]

Just as it was last year.

But then again the conspiracy theories about last year's Illinois game are still floating around.

[notfadeaway]

Which would be???

[BuckeyeTillIDie]

The Buckeyes will be highly motivated for this one. They've come too far to look past a good Illini team to the Mchgn game.

[Taosman]

Originally Posted by Mr. Incredible

I think we match up better with Illinois than we did with Wisky FWIW.

I think so too! And they don't have Barry's formula for winning in the Shoe!
And we won't be flat like Saturday.

[Best Buckeye]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

This is a classic trap game.

I agree with this But I also think that JT has their heads screwed on right. In that they all feel they still have to improve and I think that will carry over clear thru the NC game. Last years team had a better chance of being trapped. which is what happened .

[Nordberg]

Originally Posted by Kraftmaid

Does anyone "feel" a little payback being due because of coach Zook & the Florida connection? Does anyone think the team feels this way?

Yea I don't feel that they will make a big deal out of it. It may come up in the broadcast, but they won't go in depth.

[Jaxbuck]

Originally Posted by mendensa

Mendenhall is in the top 5 in a lot of NCAA rushing catagories. I think they are a better running team than Wiscy this year. Look at the numbers. The badgers had some success running the ball, they just got away from it too early. Talent wise, this Illini team is a lot better than wiscy also. Better playmakers all around. Plus, the Bucks defense has to account for juice pulling it down and running. The last time they faced a scrambling QB (WASHINGTON GAME) he torched them for 100+. Love the confidence guys but don't see the Bucks winning this one by 3 scores unless they shut down the run early and turn Juice and the Illini offense into a 1-dimensional threat.

Don't let that Minny game fool you.

Lets throw out their best game(vs Wisconsin because Minny isn't a real DIA team) and their worst(vs Iowa) because anyone can have a bad game. Here is what that high octane offense has managed to do:

336 yds and 27 points vs PSU
253 yds and 17 points vs tsun
386 yds and 27 points vs Indiana

Thats 325 yds of total offense and 24 points per game average against 3 defenses nowhere near as good as ours.

We give up an average of 220 yds per game so lets split the difference and say they get 270 or so yds and lets split the difference again on scoring and say they get 17. So thats a rough, but good, guess at what we can realistically look at giving up. Fine.

Now lets look at what we can reasonably expect to do vs their D. Same teams as above:

427 yds and 20 points to PSU
397 yds and 14 points to IU
343 yds and 27 points to tsun with all the injuries

389 yds and 20 points average. Again we are a lot better than those 3 teams.

I see this as our Offense gets their average and we give up 14-17 at most.

Call it 35-17 OSU and lets get ready for The Game.

[jlb1705]

Originally Posted by BuckeyeNation27

This is a classic trap game.

[Jaxbuck]

Fogot to add one thing.

As far as making them one dimensional, they pretty much are that when they get off the bus.

NCAA rank is out of 119

Illinois pass offense-113th
Pass efficiency offense-102nd
Juice williams total offense-95th (112 ypg---Todd Boeckman 161 ypg)
Juice Williams TD/INT's: 8/9
his backup: 1/3

No I don't have it backwards...they don't have a QB on the roster who has thrown more TD's than INT's and thats AFTER playing Minnesota.

They are a one trick pony on offense, average at best on defense, thin, not used to winning and prone to making big mistakes. They are also coached by Ron Zook.

You have to respect everyone you play but there is no need to fear Illinois. They just aren't that good.

[DaddyBigBucks]

Line has opened at 15.


I have been racking my brain, trying to come up with a reason why Illinois should match-up against us... I just can't do it.

While Jax was generous enough to throw out the Iowa game; I think that game deserves some attention. If you go back and read that game's thread, you'll see that I predicted that Iowa would match-up well with the Illini. The Hawkeyes have a rushing defense, and that's all you need to stop Juice.

Take a closer look at the Mich-Ill game too. When Illinois went up 14-3, the rest of the first half went;

• scUM TD drive
• Illinois 3-and-out
• scUM TD drive

The two reasonably competent rushing defenses that Illinois has faced have slowed Mendenhall enough that Illinois' inability to pass got them beat. OSU's rushing defense is vastly superior to anything faced by Illinois to date. Don't let a run here or there fool you. Every team gets those a few times in a season. Look at the conference only stats. Look at DSA. Better yet, just trust your eyes when you watch the games. OSU has plenty of rushing defense to do what Iowa and Michigan did, and then some.

The only thing that Illinois has going for them is that OSU has played 3 physical teams in a row. That is tough duty, and facing yet another physical team is definitely a daunting task as there has been no off-week this year. And OSU has had enough injuries in the front 7 that the starters have borne the brunt of a lot of physical football over the past month.

Nevertheless, I really don't see a one dimensional team getting it done in our house. Not against this defense.

In the incredibly unlikely event that Illinois does gash our defense repeatedly, perhaps someone can explain to me how one of the worst passing defenses in the league is going to find an answer for Brian Robiskie in 7 days. If they can't, no amount of luck they have against the Buckeye defense will help them keep up with the complete ass-blasting they'll get from the OSU offense.

But again, I come back to the likelier scenario of Tresselball and defense putting this one away without the need for the Offensive Power Enema.


If you're still worried, I have two words for you: Ron Zook.

Two more words to consider: Jim Tressel.

Any questions?

[bukIpower]

This game doesn't scare me... this is why.

1. illinois is the sorriest offense there is in the big ten as far as being balanced. Juice Williams will never be even a 60 percent passer, and there offense is nothing but gimmicks.

2. We're too close to finishing this season off, and we know exactly how tough they played us last year.

3. This offense this year will be much harder to stop than last years because this is a much more power attack and thats what we need to do against a young defense.

4. Senior Day.... They will NOT lose in their last home game of the year. They just won't.

Trap game? certainly... but only a balanced team would give us problems. Lining up and running the option and the sort will not work. We'll be able to watch the backfield a lot more this weel and the field will shrink on this Illinois offense.